This invention relates to heating components of a combustion engine ventilation system, and more particularly, the invention relates to a heating element for use with a positive crankcase ventilation valve and a heating element for use with a hose from the PCV valve to the intake manifold.
PCV valve assemblies are used to vent unburned combustion gases, which blow by the piston rings and into the engine crankcase into the intake manifold to be burned. Relief of pressure within the crankcase and burning the unburned combustion gases are critical in obtaining desirable engine operation and emissions. Numerous PCV valve actuation devices for opening and closing the valve have been proposed, some of which do not provide valve control to the degree desired. In particular, PCV valve operation may be negatively affected by the temperature. Under some cold conditions, the operation of the PCV valve may be inhibited and the valve may be unusable. That is, the gases in the vicinity PCV valve may freeze thereby preventing the valve from moving. PCV valve assembly heating devices have been used to heat the assembly to better ensure desirable operation. However, they have employed external thermostats to control the flow of current to the heating device to turn the heating device on at the desired temperature. The thermostats add cost to the PCV valve and take up space in the engine compartment. Therefore, what is needed is an improved heating device for a PCV valve assembly.
The PCV valve is typically mounted on a rocker arm cover and connected to the intake manifold by a hose. The hose connection at the intake manifold may be located upstream of the throttle body blade. Cold moist air hitting the throttle body blade may produce ice around the throttle body causing the throttle blade to stick. It is desirable to heat the air entering the intake manifold near the throttle body blade to a temperature sufficiently high to prevent icing of the blade. Therefore, what is needed is a heating device for use with the combustion engine ventilation system to prevent icing of the blade.